The staff at The Times Argus who select the headline for the reporting of the police logs must have a game going. The game goes like this: See how vast a contrast we can draw between the Barre and Montpelier police log headlines.

Whoever wrote the following headlines won: The first headline in the Aug. 21 edition: Barre — Machete used in fight. Montpelier — Crosswalk violators warned. I noticed, upon a deeper reading of the log, that Montpelier police assisted in an incident involving a handgun that same week.

Did that incident make the Montpelier police headlines?

Follow-up note: I was an observer to the incident in which a citizen flashed the machete during an altercation. Then, later that day, I was party to a follow-up conversation with the involved person. He commented upon his receiving and offering an apology with the other party to the altercation. Reconciliation occurred. Thanks for the offering of forgiveness.

Quoting Jack Kornfield, “Weigh the true advantages of resentment and forgiveness to the heart. Then choose.” Such is my critique of reporting and determining headlines with the hope of more awareness and balanced reporting in the future. Such is my offering forgiveness, too.